Avatar: Book Two
by Dark Shadow Of A Phoenix
Summary: Most Recent Chapter: The Attack
1. Chapter 1

_PROLOGUE_

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

Only the Avatar- master of all four elements- could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

One hundred years passed and Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe discovered the new Avatar- and air bender named Aang. And although his air bending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he is ready to save anyone.

But Katara believes that Aang will save the world someday . . .

_BOOK TWO_

_CHAPTER ONE: THE SPY FROM OMASHU_

Jet sat on the top of the tree, staring into the horizon as the sun set. The harsh winter wind blew against him as he sat. Thinking. Thinking about everything that had happened. He had met Katara. She had loved him. He didn't care. Didn't care about Katara. Cared only about her bending.

With her and Aang's help, he could have destroyed all of the fire benders in the city. But Sokka interfered. The traitor ruined his plans. Katara turned on him, too. Froze him to a tree. Nearly left him for dead when the fire benders found him. If it hadn't been for Longshot and Pipsqueak . . .

Now he sat there.

"What do we do now, Jet?" Sneers had climbed up the tree.

Jet paused. "What can we do? Everyone in the village hates me. All the fire benders know where I am. We keep moving, but sooner or later, the Fire Nation is bound to find me. So what else is there left to do but run?" Jet let out a roar of anger. His calm attitude had now changed.

"This is all Sokka's fault! That stupid . . . If I ever get my hands on that weasel I'll . . ."

Sneers backed away a little. "Sorry . . ." he said.

Suddenly, Smellerbee called from the ground, "Jet! Fire bender!"

With a sigh, Jet leaped from the tree onto the ground. He didn't enjoy mugging Fire Nation soldiers anymore. It had grown boring. But it was his only method of getting food and water.

He aimed his sword at the enemy. It was a typical Fire Nation soldier. He had on the traditional outfit, the mask, the standard Fire Nation sword. Nothing special about him.

"Did you search him?" Jet asked.

"Yes," came the reply. "All I found was this." Smellerbee held up a small piece of parchment. Jet grabbed it and handed it back to the surprised fire bender.

"What does it say?" Jet demanded.

"Can't you read it yourself?" The soldier received a hard blow to the face. Not being able to read was a touchy subject for Jet. But his parents were killed before Jet had time to learn anything, really.

"Okay," the soldier answered the punch, "okay! It says, 'Admiral Zhao, I will grant you your request. You may invade the North Pole at will. I know you will not fail to bring me the Avatar. Signed, Fire Lord Ozai.'"

"I know who Ozai is," Jet said. "Who's this Zhao?" Jet didn't know very much about the war, either. All he really knew was that he was against the Fire Nation.

The soldier began the snicker about Jet's ignorance. He received another smack. "He's a powerful admiral who's about to capture the Avatar."

"So he's in pursuit of the Avatar, huh? Where's the Avatar now?"

"He's in the North Pole. I was just about to bring Zhao this message, and . . ."

"Shut up!" Smellerbee cut him off.

"Longshot, come with me," Jet ordered. "The rest of you, keep this guy your prisoner. A hostage may prove useful, especially one with such an important message."

"Where are you and Longshot headed?" the Duke asked.

"We can't take out the Fire Lord. But if we were to kill Zhao, it would apparently be a harsh strike against the Fire Nation. Besides," Jet said, "wherever Zhao is, Sokka and the Avatar are. I'm not going to the North Pole just to get rid of Admiral Zhao. My other purpose," Jet began, "is revenge."

* * *

Zuko walked down the halls of Zhao's ship, disguised in his fire soldier uniform, when a short boy, about twelve years old, stepped out of another hallway. "Hello!" he greeted Prince Zuko.

Zuko ignored him, but he couldn't stop wondering who this kid was.

The boy was walking to Zuko's left side now. "Listen," he said. He was serious now. "I know who you are, Prince Zuko."

Zuko instantly opened the door to one of the rooms of the ship, threw the boy in, stepped inside, and slammed the door. He began creating fire in one hand while keeping the boy pinned to the wall with another.

"Hey, what are you doing?" the boy cried.

"You know my secret," Zuko responded. "So I cannot allow you to live."

"No, I'm on your side!" he pleaded.

The fire grew smaller, but it was still there. Zuko was ready to strike if anything should happen. "You have five seconds to explain," Zuko spoke calmly.

"Well, my name is Tai Shone, and-"

"I don't care what your name is!" Zuko cut him off.

"I was born in the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu," Tai continued. "The Fire Nation started attacking us, so I decided to join them. I mean, why not? I knew that they would win the war."

Zuko grinned. "True. Okay, go on."

"So I began working as a spy. You know, to see what information I could get from the Earth Kingdom. If they were gonna attack, when they were gonna attack, how many soldiers, you know. But then I heard that you were looking for the Avatar. So I stowed away on your ship to help you."

"Okay," Zuko said. The fire was gone now, and Zuko seemed to be smiling. "But how does this interest me?"

"Well, I'm just here to help fight in the Fire army as you and Admiral Zhao capture the Avatar-"

"Me and Zhao fighting together? Where did you hear that he and I were allies?"

"Well, I just assumed that since the Avatar is the enemy . . ."

"The Avatar isn't the enemy. Zhao is the enemy. The Avatar is the key. The key to my honor. But I suppose there is one way you can help."

"How?" Tai asked, eagerly.

"Zhao is going to call a meeting right before we enter the North Pole. Are you a bender?"

"I know a little earth bending . . ." Tai answered.

"Just how much is, 'a little?'"

"Well, I can lift rocks and stuff, but that's about it."

Zuko sighed. "That's enough, I suppose. When he calls the meeting, you just find a rock in the water, lift it up, and attack a soldier with it. Zhao will turn his attention to you. Then I come up from behind and attack him. I'll jump off the ship, and you can escape in the confusion. I'll capture the Avatar."

"Great plan!" Tai commended Zuko. "But just one problem: How do we take the Avatar back to the Fire Nation?"

"Hmm . . ." Zuko thought.

"Maybe I can swim to some ship in the water. I'm . . . I'm an earth bender who was captured by the Fire Nation and I barely escaped! The people let me on board in pity . . ."

"And then I jump on with the Avatar, kick 'em off the ship, and we sail back to the Fire Nation!" Zuko finished.

"Yeah!" Tai exclaimed.


	2. Chapter 2

_PROLOGUE_

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

Only the Avatar- master of all four elements- could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

One hundred years passed and Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe discovered the new Avatar- and air bender named Aang. And although his air bending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he is ready to save anyone.

But Katara believes that Aang will save the world someday . . .

_BOOK TWO_

_CHAPTER TWO: THE BETRAYAL_

The Fire Nation soldiers lined up in straight rows on the deck of Zhao's ship. _This is the meeting_, Tai thought. _This is where it's all going to happen_.

"All right, men!" Zhao boomed. "As soon as we get permission from Fire Lord Ozai, we will invade the North Pole and capture the Avatar! We- the fire- will prevail!"

The crowd cheered.

That's when Zuko saw his chance. He was hiding from behind the ship's bridge, waiting to strike.

"All right, Longshot," Jet said. "Zhao's distracted. Aim your arrow and-" He stopped when he saw Zuko form flames in his hands. "Fire bender!" he cried.

Zuko prepared to leap from behind the bridge and finish Zhao in one deadly strike, but he was pushed down. Startled, he turned around to see a teenager with a twig in his mouth, two swords in his hands.

"How did you find out?" the boy demanded.

"What?"

"You knew I was going to get rid of Zhao. So you hid here so that you could save him!" Jet said.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked. He was punched out of his hiding place, in plain view of the soldiers.

"Zuko, what are you doing?" his uncle Iroh spoke, startled.

"Capture him!" Zhao ordered. Instantly, several soldiers grabbed Zuko, along with Jet and Longshot, and carried them off to the ship's jail. All Tai could do was watch.

When it was all over, Tai walked up to Admiral Zhao. "Good job," he commended.

"It all went as you planned," Tai answered with a sly grin.


	3. Chapter 3

_PROLOGUE_

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

Only the Avatar- master of all four elements- could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

One hundred years passed and Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe discovered the new Avatar- an Air Bender named Aang. And although his bending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he is ready to save anyone.

But Katara believes that Aang will save the world someday . . .

_BOOK TWO_

_CHAPTER THREE: THE ATTACK_

Zuko and Jet lay in their cell. A day had passed, and Longshot was the first to be executed. Prince Zuko was next.

"This is all your fault, you know," Zuko accused, bitterly.

Jet didn't reply.

"If you hadn't interfered, Zhao would be dead," he continued.

Jet raised an eyebrow, curious. "You're against Zhao, too? But, you're Fire Nation."

Zuko turned away. "I _was_. Until my father banished me."

"So what's Zhao got to do with that?"

Zuko paused and took a breath. "I can only restore my honor by capturing the Avatar. And Zhao is just an interference. So- Wait, why am I telling you all this?"

"I don't know."

There was a moment of silence. Zuko continued to stare at the wall, lost in thought. Thinking about what life was like _before_ he was banished. Before he had opened his big mouth.

"It seems you and I could be friends," Jet broke the silence.

"Hm . . . Perhaps."

"So . . ." Jet extended his hand. "Friends?"

Zuko shook it.

"There's only one problem."

"What's that?" Jet asked.

"How do we get out of this cell?"

Jet paused. "Wait . . . I think I have an idea."

* * *

Tai stood at the edge of Zhao's ship. He raised his hand in the air, and a huge lump of coal shot up from the fuel storage. He spun the rock around and around above his head, then crashed it into a canoe from the Northern Water Tribe about ninety yards away.

"'I only know a little bit of Earth Bending,'" Tai quoted the lie he had told Zuko only hours before.

The ship entered the Water Tribe's harbor.

Zhao gave a one-word order to his troops: "Attack."

The hundreds of soldiers leaped from the boat and quickly burned down the gates of the tribe.

* * *

"Fire Benders!" Master Pakku cried.

Panic had grown in the tribe. They had expected an attack, but not one this strong. To make matters worse, most of the guards standing by the gate had fled for their own lives, instead of protecting the innocent.

However, benders such as Master Pakku were able to keep of most of the Fire Benders. One thing that really surprised them was an Earth Bender working for the Fire Nation. Tai was pulling the earth up from beneath the ice and hurling it with all of his might. He was the tribe's main threat at the moment. And then . . .

Fire seemed to be raining from the sky! But how?

Aang- who had been ordered to stay in the safety of an igloo along with Katara and Sokka- looked up into the sky to see several fireballs being shot from the war balloon in the sky.

"We can't just stay here and do nothing!" Sokka complained. He grabbed his boomerang.

"Sokka, what are you doing?" Katara whispered. "If the Fire Nation finds us here . . ."

"The sooner we get the Fire Benders out of here, the better," came the response.

He quickly ran outside of the igloo and hurled his boomerang at the balloon. It hit balloon. As it went down, Sokka felt proud.

* * *

The Water Benders had managed to drive all of the Fire Nation soldiers out of the tribe- and Tai. Attack one had failed. But there was no celebrating. The Fire Nation had left much damage in the tribe, but not as much as Sokka had.

"You caused the balloon to crash into the Healing Hut!" Master Pakku yelled. Thousands of victims taking cover there were lost, including Princess Yeu.

The chief stared solemnly. "You- and your friends- are banished from the Northern Water Tribe.


End file.
